COMMISSION CONSIDERS CHIEF : NO DECISION MADE ON WILLIAMS, OFFICIALS SAY.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Police Commission began deliberating Saturday on whether to give LAPD Chief Willie L. Williams a second five-year term, but officials said no decision was made, and the panel will resume its discussions Thursday.

The commission met for seven hours Saturday at an undisclosed location to begin considering how Williams has performed on 24 criteria set by the panel to help it decide whether to extend the chief's term when it expires in July.

``There was no decision regarding the reappointment of the chief of police,'' said commission spokesman Ken Ferber late Saturday. He refused to comment on details of what was discussed.

The panel has until April 7 to decide whether to give the chief a second term, but Commission President Ray Fisher said he hopes to reach a conclusion by the end of next week.

Williams and his attorneys have accused the commission of improperly deciding not to reappoint the chief before it began the current evaluation process, which the chief's attorneys labeled ``window dressing.''

However, Fisher denied that the panel had made up its mind before the process began.

In addition to considering its own judgment, the commission is considering input collected from interviews with more than 50 community leaders, including Mayor Richard Riordan and City Council members.

Riordan, who has been openly critical of the chief's management, provided his input Thursday in a half-hour meeting with Fisher in the mayor's office, sources said.

The commission also received a letter Friday from the Latin American Law Enforcement Association that criticizes the chief for not promoting enough Latinos and for the lack of sufficient representation of Latinos on Community Police Advisory Boards set up to advise each police station.

The group said it had made its concerns known to the chief several times in the past.

``However, he has failed to promote qualified Latinos in a timely fashion, in some cases he has failed to promote them altogether, and he has failed to promote a Latino to the important position of assistant chief,'' said the letter signed by Ruben Padilla, the association's president.

In addition, Padilla complained that Latinos only make up 12 to 19 percent of the Community Police Advisory Board membership when Latinos compose up to 55 percent of the city's population.

An LAPD spokeswoman said the chief was not available for comment Saturday.

The Police Commission has also received a letter from the Command Officers Association, saying the group of high-ranking officers will support whatever the commission decides but the group doesn't want the process to become politicized.

``The COA believes this process should proceed without political campaigning throughout the various communities within the city,'' said the letter signed by President Maurice Moore. ``The issue of whether the chief of police should be granted a second, five-year term should be decided by the facts of the matter and not by emotional, unsupported assertions.''

The commission met twice with Williams and his attorneys in the last two weeks for a total of more than eight hours.

The commission has wide discretion to decide whether to retain the chief. That discretion is given by Charter Amendment F, which was approved by the city's voters in 1992, and removed civil service protections from the chief to make the position more accountable to the civilian oversight panel.

If the commission turns down the chief's application for a second term, Williams can appeal the matter to the City Council, but it is not certain whether he has the 10 votes needed to overturn the commission.

``I would have to see what the commission gives for its reason,'' said Councilwoman Ruth Galanter about whether she would vote for or against an appeal.

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Photo: Willie L. Williams

Seeks second term at LAPD